The city of St. Louis is leading the country in the number of empty houses per person. Recently, this number has grown even more due to the increase in foreclosures brought on by the mortgage crisis. Empty homes lead to crime and can ruin entire neighborhoods. The city of St. Louis is now working to fight this growing problem.

Sunday’s St. Louis Post-Dispatch reported on a bill presented to the city’s Board of Aldermen. The bill requires that owners of vacant buildings register those buildings and pay a fee each year the property remains empty. To read the entire article about the proposed registry, CLICK HERE.

You can do your part to be a good neighbor. Actions as simple as raking leaves or picking up trash around vacant properties can help keep your neighborhood safe. Watch the Living St. Louissegment below to learn how the Spanish Lake community is working together to address the problem of abandoned homes in the neighborhood. To learn how you can volunteer, call United Way’s 2-1-1 Referral Service at (800) 427-4626—they’ll help connect you with trusted resources.